


Bury Your Flame

by wolfgxngs



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Blood, Chases, F/M, Flashbacks, Minor Violence, Non-Graphic Violence, Past Joffrey Baratheon/Sansa Stark, Ramsay is His Own Warning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-27
Updated: 2019-04-27
Packaged: 2020-02-07 13:00:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,338
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18621130
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wolfgxngs/pseuds/wolfgxngs
Summary: After Ramsay goes too far, Sansa frantically decides to escape. She is barefoot and lost, a frenzied man and his pack are searching for her. She wishes she had her own pack with her now more than ever.





	Bury Your Flame

**Author's Note:**

> I've rewritten this a few times now (and I still SUCK at summaries) but I think I'm finally happy with it! I tried to keep the violence to a minimum, but be warned there are mentions of Ramsay killing animals in flashbacks. Title is from the La Dispute song of the same name.

Sansa's soaked bare feet slapped on the cold mud, she let out a low gasp as the substance seeped between her toes; her pretty pink nail polish had begun chipping away in her haste. She risked a glance behind her, listening intently for a sniffle, bark or growl, anything that would hint at a hound biting at her heels.

Once upon a time, before getting caught up in the odd charms of Ramsay Bolton, Sansa had been a dog lover. It ran in the family, each child had their own canine companion. On her thirteenth birthday, her parents had gifted her a beautiful husky, which she had named Lady. They quickly became inseparable, they mirrored each other well. Both were polite, demure and quiet. Additionally, the dog had always been a wonderful judge of character, she had growled and gone to bite Ramsay when Sansa had first introduced them, but she was so enamoured with her new beau that she ignored the clench of her heart and the knife twisting in her gut.

Sansa learnt her lesson, of course, because Ramsay was very odd. He was handsome, in a way, but his eyes were definitely the most polarizing thing about him. Whilst they were a pretty icy blue, just lighter than Sansa's own, they had a coldness about them. He could switch easily from charming to cruel. Just that morning, Ramsay had offered to take Lady on a hunt with him. Even though they had all (including Ramsay's own dog pack) been living together for 6 months, Lady was still wary of him. 

\----

_"I don't think it's a good idea," Sansa said cautiously, "Lady's not really like that."_

_"Darling, it would be a great way for Lady to bond with me!" Ramsay had exclaimed, possibly too excitedly, "my own dogs were unsure at first. But now, they **love** the excitement of the hunt! Plus, they get so exhausted that they sleep well into the night."_

_Sansa had relented, it would be nice for her dog to get along with Ramsay. Lady looked betrayed when Ramsay tied her leash on, Sansa almost cried at the sight. She made sure to give her dog a hug filled with confidence and reassurance, Ramsay had waved off her concerns and bounded out the door with Lady in tow._

_However, upon their return, Lady had not been by Ramsay's side, happily puffed out. No, in fact, her mutilated body was in his arms. Her head was barely still attached to her body. Ramsay had tried to look upset and guilty, but Sansa could see the truth. Could see right through him._

_"I'm so sorry, my love. There was an accident."_

\----

Feeling bile rise in her throat at the memory, Sansa bought a shaking hand to her mouth. Whether this was to silence a sob or shriek, she wasn't sure. She just knew she had to keep running.

Upon seeing Lady's lifeless body, she had made a mad dash out of their bungalow, foregoing shoes and keys. Sansa just knew she needed to go _now_ , before she suffered the same fate as her beloved pet.

Ramsay would never let her get away willingly, as she had reached the clear opening to the woods near their home she had heard him gathering his own dogs. They were violent creatures, given violent orders and they had violent tendencies. Those beasts were nothing like the dogs she had grown up around. Even Shaggydog, Rickon's wild puppy, had a soft side to him.

By now, Sansa had gone further into the woods than she ever had during a walk with Lady. It felt like she had been running for hours, what had been daylight was now becoming night. The moon was faintly visible, beyond some trees; which just seemed to keep multiplying. The whole wood area looked the same, Sansa realised as she looked around. If she got lost, she didn't think she would be able to find her way back out. Then again, did she really want to? A twig snapped off in the distance, bringing her out of her thoughts. It sounded as if it had come from the right, so Sansa took a deep breath and decided to proceed to the left instead, trying to keep her pace quick enough to continue putting distance between her and Ramsay but still slow enough that she had time to take note of, and avoid, big clusters of leaves and twigs. She had no idea where this direction would take her, but anywhere would be better than Ramsay's cold embrace.

An hour or so on, Sansa's bare feet were scratched, bloody and aching. She had a cramp in her stomach, which she kept clutching at to feebly try and stop the pain, and her eyes were growing weary. However, she knew had to stay alert. She had to stay alive. For what seemed like the hundredth time since she had been alone with her thoughts, Sansa cursed herself for not leaving him when she had the chance. Not only had she ignored Lady's distrust of Ramsay, but also that of her family and friends. After her awful relationship and breakup with Joffrey Baratheon, she had thought that everyone was simply being overprotective of her.

\----

_"Sansa, sweetheart, I am telling you there is something wrong with that boy." Catelyn Stark, her mother, had hissed at her as they washed dishes together after a family dinner._

_Sansa rolled her eyes, "he's fine, mother. Ramsay just has a tough time with his father, it makes him a bit on edge. Don't you think he's charming? Handsome?"_

_"More like fake." Arya butted in, she was leaning on a counter next to them, not contributing to the chores (as per usual), "or creepy, actually." She had added with an exaggerated shudder._

_"Oh shut up, Arya." Sansa had sighed, "you're my favourite sister but you know **nothing** about relationships."_

_Arya had huffed in response and flushed. "Well, I'm your only sister. ANYWAY, Ramsay was in Jon's year at school. Jon said he would leave during lunch and kill squirrels, or something like that."_

_"ARYA!" Sansa whirled round to face her sister and glared, "stop telling lies! You're so ridiculous."_

_"Whether your sister is telling a tale or not, your father and I simply do not trust this boy." Catelyn dried her hands then took Sansa's in her own. Catelyn's soft blue eyes, which looked so much like Sansa's, were almost tearful, "be careful with him."_

\----

Oh, how Sansa wished she had listened. She had tried so hard to mature quickly into an independent woman free of being controlled, but she was still just a scared stupid girl. This time, in the control of a different monster.

She didn't have her brave sister here to rescue her (just like she had done with Joffrey), this time Sansa would have to save herself. Determination and reinvigorated faith coursed through her, she had managed to escape Ramsay's clammy clutches for this long, she had to get out of this. She wasn't sure how she had managed to avoid him and his gruesome animals for this long, it was possibly because he never used this wood for his own walks, but perhaps it was because the gods were keeping her safe. Maybe they had a plan for her.

The sky was continuing to turn a deeper shade of blue, but Sansa had an innate feeling that she was nearing _something_ , it had to be the other end of the woods. Despite this hope, the clusters of trees felt almost suffocating and sinister, they all looked the same and it was like they were somehow mocking her, purposefully leading her through an endless maze with no exit. Sansa stopped at one of the trees to steady herself, she hadn't eaten since before Ramsay had gone on his hunt, which had been hours ago. Hungriness tore at her stomach and she winced at the pain of her hunger coupled with her cramp. Bracing herself on the tree, Sansa felt an indentation with her palm. She looked at it closely, it was as if there was a face imprinted on the gnarled bark. Furrowing her brow, she peered at it in confusion, there was definitely a pattern of a grimace to be made out. It's 'eyes' had an interesting expression that - in Sansa's delirious state - she could only place as a concerned gaze.

Realising that she had been stood stationary for definitely no less than five minutes, Sansa shook her head to get out of her daze and looked to where she had been going. As it was still getting dark, the trees ahead of her looked just like tall shadows, she could only make out some branches or tops of them, but it almost looked like they were beginning to part further up.

Sansa rubbed her eyes to make sure she wasn't imagining it, yet it definitely looked like they were parting. Perhaps this was the exit! A wistful groan escaped her dry lips, she was parched and desperately wished she had water, at least she was closer to her goal though. Sansa began a lumbering jog in that direction, she wished she could muster the energy for a sprint, but her feet were in ruins and could barely take her current light pounding on the grounds.

Closer to where she had been looking, she was thankful to see that she had been right; the trees were gradually beginning to part. It also looked like there was a faint, pale glow ahead, but Sansa could not make out the shape from where she was. She hoped it would be a shop or restaurant, she could kill for a bottle of water and a sugary snack. 

Stumbling forwards, her heartbeat was so furious she could hear it in drumming in her ears, feel it vibrating her body. The glow that she had seen was headlights - from a vehicle, surely! No doubt about it, the exit would lead to a car park or maybe a road. It was so close, Sansa could taste relief. She was going to be safe. In her haste, she tripped over the root of a tree. Groaning, Sansa pushed herself up on shaking hands. It was hard to tell in the dark if what covered her legs was blood or mud, but she supposed that was her fault for wearing shorts and no shoes. Although, she never thought she would be running away from her boyfriend through some creepy woods.

Sansa went to stand up properly but her hand slipped on a patch of mud and left her sprawled on the ground once more. She hissed in pain and sat up again, noticing a figure had approached her, though she couldn't make out a face in the dark.

"Need a hand?" She stopped, she could tell that voice from anywhere.

"How did you find me?" She asked in disbelief.

Ramsay smiled at her as he stepped forwards so she could see him clearer, his smiled looked more like an awful sneer in the moonlight. "Honey, you should know by now that I will always find you."

Still on the floor, Sansa let out an exasperated sob, "Ramsay, _please_... don't let them eat me..." his dogs were loyal and Sansa knew that Ramsay had a penchant for cruelty.

He looked shocked, "eat you?! I would never let them do that. Look around you, do you see them?"

Sansa wiped the tears from her eyes, stood up and took a cautious look around. Even though his dogs were not in the immediate area, she didn't trust Ramsay. Plus, it was dark, he probably had them lurking in the shadows, ready to rip her apart when he gave the command.

"Where are they?" She asked quietly, her thirstiness made her voice come out weaker than she would have liked.

"Why, they're waiting in the car of course!" He roughly grabbed her shoulders and forced her to face the direction which she had originally been heading in, "I got impatient and just had to get you myself when I saw you coming our way."

Sansa felt mortified, Ramsay had been with her before and instead of easily catching up with her and getting the deed over with quickly, he had _left_ her limping and gone to get his car, the very car she thought would be her saviour. She wanted to be strong but could not stop the tears from escaping, "are you going to let them out? The dogs, from your car?"

He looked at her, almost lovingly, it reminded her of when they first met. Back then she had been foolishly oblivious to his sociopath-like tendencies, convinced she could change his ways. "No, I won't let them out now." He brushed a lock of knotted auburn hair away from her face, if it had been anyone else doing it and a different situation, Sansa could have seen the gesture as romantic. There was something in his eyes that she couldn't quite discern, it might have been regret. Taking the opportunity, Sansa kicked her bare foot into his abdomen and began running the opposite way. He grunted behind her and she had briefly noticed his face contort into pain, rage, and what almost looked like adoration.

Sansa ignored the burning feeling in her legs and stomach, sweat was dripping down her body but this was going to be her only chance to escape at this point. Suddenly a searing pain pooled in her left shoulder, she shrieked and fell down immediately. She used the hand on her opposite arm to feel around, there was something stuck in her shoulder and her hand was now covered in a sticky liquid - _blood_. Ramsay had thrown a knife at her, a knife she obviously had not noticed beforehand.

He crouched beside her shaking body as she struggled to keep her breath steady, her fearful eyes darting all around. Ramsay looked at her before smiling coldly, "I told you, I will always find you."

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you very much for reading! Please feel free to leave criticisms and feedback.


End file.
